September 2026: Delayed Public Camping Ordinance No. 6199 Reading
Delayed the second reading of Ordinance No. 6199, returning it to the Committee of the Whole to refine service referral language in the proposed public camping and trespass ban.
Mayor’s Priorities: Strengthening Social Services
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Renton's Approach
Homelessness has been a longstanding and complex issue throughout King County and the State of Washington. As part of Mayor Armondo Pavone’s strategic priorities, the city is strengthening its approach to social services by investing in preventive measures that improve community health and reduce reliance on crisis intervention. The city is focused on pairing compassionate outreach with accountability. By providing structured support and resources in partnership with local organizations, the city aims to effectively direct unsheltered individuals toward treatment, shelter, and ultimately, permanent housing.
Pillars of Support
The following pillars guide Renton’s approach to homelessness:
Upstream Prevention and Youth Support
The city prioritizes early intervention and remains focused on proactive strategies that support youth and vulnerable families. By investing in community health hubs, educational support, and early family stabilization programs, the city builds long-term resilience and prevents future homelessness.
Behavioral Health and Stabilization
Expanding specialized care facilities and recovery resources is essential to addressing chronic homelessness and addiction. Renton is establishing a dedicated Resource Center and Stabilization Campus to centralize wraparound services under one roof.
Affordable Housing and Regional Partnerships
Long-term housing security requires a strong regional approach, and the city is committed to maintaining and strengthening partnerships with the state, county, neighboring agencies, and housing authorities to create sustainable, affordable housing options.
Public Safety and Public Space Management
Balancing community enforcement with compassionate care, the City has established clear protocols for encampments and property management, as well as dedicated outreach strategies that connect individuals with essential services.
Timeline
2026
September 2026: Approved Willowcrest Phase II Capital Grant
Approved an agreement with Homestead Community Land Trust for the Willowcrest Phase II project, utilizing $1,000,000 in Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) funds to support critical infrastructure improvements for the project. Learn more about Affordable Housing Incentives on the city’s website.
August 2026: First Reading of Ordinance No. 6199
Introduced Ordinance No. 6199 to the Renton Municipal Code, establishing prohibitions on unauthorized camping, personal property storage, and abandoned shopping carts on city property. Complements state House Bill 2489 to safeguard municipal authority over local public camping regulations while aligning enforcement policies with incoming regional standards.
July 2026: Authorized AAHAA Supportive Housing Agreement
Authorized an agreement with AAHAA Supportive Housing through December 2027 to deliver temporary supportive housing services while the permanent resource center is developed.
July 2026: Evaluated Vision House Capital Expansion
Reviewed Vision House’s “For Our Neighbor” proposal to develop 28 transitional housing units alongside ground-floor counseling, childcare, and family support services at Children’s Village Phase IV.
June 2026: Approved South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SKHHP) 2027 Work Plan
Approved the SKHHP 2027 Work Plan and Budget, directing joint regional action toward establishing an inter-local fiscal reserve policy, expanding the pooled Housing Capital Fund, and launching a comprehensive sub-regional Five-Year Strategy to increase affordable housing inventory throughout the County.
April 2026: Tour of Auburn’s Resource Center
Several Renton City Councilmembers joined Human Services Director Kent Hay on a tour of Auburn’s Resource Center.
March 2026: Auburn Outreach Model
At a “Talks on the Block” event on Sept. 2, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone said officials are looking to change the way they handle homelessness in the city by implementing a program similar to the approach in Auburn. Learn more about the Mayor’s announcement.
March 2026: State of the City: Announced Shift to Accountability & Prevention Strategy
Unveiled Renton’s policy shift and strategic response framework modeled on an “accountability and compassion” approach — pairing structured outreach and direct pathways to housing with firm public space accountability.
February 2026: Appointed New Human Services Director
Appointed Kent Hay as Human Services Director to operationalize Renton’s transition toward a results-driven homelessness strategy and establish a new stabilization center.
February 2026: Council Retreat: Homelessness & Public Safety Alignment
Benchmarked Renton’s homelessness and public safety strategies against Auburn’s model to strengthen cross-departmental coordination across housing and behavioral health services.
2025
October 2025: Presented Briefing on Resource Center in the Valley
Presented plans to establish a permanent, intake-based resource center in the Valley to connect unhoused residents with essential support services, personalized case management, and housing resources.
October 2025: Recognized Renton Student Health Hub Milestone
Celebrated the official expansion of the Renton Student Health Hub at Renton High School, a school-based health center created through a partnership between the City of Renton, Renton School District, and Health Commons Project.
June 2025: Acquired Compton Lumber Site
Approved the Purchase & Sale Agreement for the Compton Lumber property for future resource center use.
June 2025: Approved SKHHP 2026 Work Plan
Approved the SKHHP 2026 Work Plan and Operating Budget, directing joint sub-regional action toward expanding affordable housing development, updating the regional housing inventory dashboard, and advocating for South King County housing priorities.
April 2025: Cleaned Up Cedar River Trail Encampment with Dedicated Patrols
Partnered with multi-agency teams and social service providers to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with support services, clean up trail areas, and launch daily safety patrols along the Cedar River Trail.
March 2025: State of the City: Invested in the Renton Student Health Hub
Released a video highlighting city investments in youth-focused preventive care, showcasing the Renton Student Health Hub's role in delivering direct behavioral health services to students and families to prevent crises.
February 2025: Council Retreat: Aligned Departmental Plans around Public Safety
Accelerated local housing diversity by reviewing HB 1110 "middle housing" standards into Renton's zoning and citywide growth strategy.
2024
December 2024: Updated Committee of the Whole’s Comprehensive Plan
Updated the Comprehensive Plan — focusing on Housing and Human Services — to increase emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing, and larger family-sized units, while addressing housing deficits for moderate-income households (80–120% AMI).
August 2024: Governor Recognized Renton with Smart Communities Award
Received the City’s twelfth Governor’s Smart Communities Award honoring the Sunset Gardens affordable housing development. Learn more about Renton Housing Authority.
June 2024: City of Grants Pass v. Johnson Set Enforcement Guidelines
In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local governments may enforce bans on camping or sleeping on public property without violating the Eighth Amendment.
April 2024: Sunset Gardens Apartments Opened
Partnered with the Renton Housing Authority to open Sunset Gardens, a 76-unit affordable development funded through HB 1590 sales tax revenues to support veterans, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.
March 2024: State Established Standards for Co-Living and Micro-Housing (ESHB 1998)
Required local land-use codes to permit co-living and single-room occupancy (SRO) developments across urban zones to expand low-cost independent housing options (HB 1998).
March 2024: Updated Protections for Temporary Religious Encampments
Washington State restricted local municipal authorities from imposing burdensome permitting fees or restrictions on Renton faith communities hosting temporary shelters, safe parking lots, or tiny home villages. (RCW 36.01.290 Updates)
March 2024: State of the City: Addressed Youth Mental Health Services
Detailed ongoing public safety efforts, regional affordable housing projects, and human service priorities centered around youth mental health support and basic needs assistance.
March 2024: Council Retreat: Adopted an Integrated Services Delivery Model
Established Renton’s human services priorities and unveiled a new system integration model to optimize municipal service delivery and discussions on King County Crisis Care Centers and a dedicated Behavioral Health Center.
2023
June 2023: Family First Community Center Opened
The Family First Community Center Foundation, City of Renton, Renton School District, and HealthPoint opened the Family First Community Center (FFCC), a 21,000-square-foot facility in Cascade/Benson Hill that combines community recreation and education with an on-site HealthPoint clinic to deliver integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care.
May 2023: Established Middle Housing Requirement (HB 1110)
Washington State required cities of Renton’s size to update local zoning frameworks to allow middle housing, such as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, in areas traditionally restricted to single-family housing. (HB 1110)
March 2023: State of the City: Invested in Police Department to Address Public Safety
Highlighted key municipal investments in public safety, homelessness response, and expanded housing options, showcasing a collaborative South King County sub-regional action framework to increase affordable housing options.
March 2023: Council Retreat: Approved Implementation of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)
Set priorities for human services contract restructuring and community health hubs in the city.
2022
July 2022: Established Apple Health and Homes Program
Washington state established the program to integrate community support services, stable housing, and healthcare services for individuals struggling with chronic homelessness and severe behavioral health conditions. (HB 1866)
July 2022: Recovery Navigator Program Integration
Partnered with King County’s peer-led outreach team to connect individuals directly with behavioral health treatment, harm reduction services, and long-term care systems.
April 2022: Established Rights-of-Way Safety Initiative
Washington state required agencies like WSDOT to coordinate with local outreach teams to offer shelter and housing options to unhoused people before clearing encampments along Renton-area highways, including I-405, SR-167, and SR-169. Learn more about the initiative.
April 2022: Council Retreat: Announced Renton Equity Commission's First Meeting
Strategized on expanding regional mental health, substance use, and homeless response partnerships with the Human Services Implementation Plan.
February 2022: Committee of the Whole Receives Update on Renton’s Use of HB 1590 Funds
Received update on strategic allocation plans for HB 1590 tax revenues, directing approximately $2.8 million annually toward affordable housing development, homelessness support, and mental health services.
2021
November 2021: Established Equity Commission
The Committee of the Whole established Renton’s Equity Commission to advise city leadership on policy decisions, promote inclusive community engagement, and ensure equitable outcomes across municipal services, housing, and public programs.
October 2021: Governor Recognized Renton with Smart Communities Award
Received the Governor’s Smart Communities Award honoring Willowcrest Townhomes, King County’s first net-zero energy affordable homeownership project.
August 2021: Determined HB 1590 Funding Allocation
Committee of the Whole determined the funding from HB 1590 would be allocated toward the Renton Housing Authority Sunset Garden Project and a Mental Health Navigator Program.
July 2021: Issued RFQ for Resource Center
Issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a dedicated Behavioral Health and Homeless Resource Center.
June 2021: Adopted Ordinance 6019
Ordinance 6019 established occupancy, building, and fire safety standards for homeless service facilities in commercial and industrial zones, capping capacity at 100 occupants or up to 115 residents when at least 15% of beds are formally reserved for local unsheltered residents.
May 2021: Updated the Growth Management Act
Washington state updated the Growth Management Act, requiring local jurisdictions to update their development regulations with respect to emergency shelters, transitional housing, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing (STEP). (HB 1220)
May 2021: Guaranteed Right to Counsel & Eviction Mediation
Washington state established a state-funded right to counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction proceedings. (SB 5160)
April 2021: Established Just Cause Eviction Protections (HB 1236)
Washington state established tenant protections eliminating “no cause” residential lease terminations.
February 2021: Launched Renton Community Court
Launched a therapeutic Community Court in partnership with Issaquah Municipal Court, connecting individuals facing low-level, nonviolent offenses with a Virtual Resource Center for housing, addiction treatment, and mental health services to reduce recidivism.
February 2021: Council Retreat: Established City Business Plan
Focused on expanding human services and partnering with REACH, ARISE, Center of Hope, and other local programs to provide 24/7 shelter during the COVID-19 crisis, alongside securing funding for program operations and long-term capital investments.
2020
December 2020: Passed Ordinance 5996
Established new zoning controls on homelessness service facilities in response to Renton Red Lion COVID-19 Deintensification Shelter.
October 2020: HealthPoint Opens New Primary Care Clinic in Renton’s Sunset Neighborhood
HealthPoint opened a new primary care clinic in Renton’s Sunset neighborhood in partnership with Neighborhood House, expanding access to healthcare, dental, and behavioral health services as part of the broader Sunset Area revitalization effort. Learn more about the Sunset Neighborhood Master Plan that was adopted in 2014.
July 2020: Approved SKHHP 2020–2021 Work Plan
Approved the SKHHP 2020–2021 Work Plan to coordinate sub-regional housing policies, establish shared governance structures, and pool resources to address affordable housing and homelessness across South King County.
June 2020: Issued City Code Violations against Red Lion
The City of Renton issued formal findings of code violations to King County regarding operations at the Red Lion shelter site.
March 2020: Established COVID-19 Deintensification Shelter
Washington established operational classifications for temporary facilities designed to deintensify high-density shelters and encampments during the pandemic, integrating emergency social-distancing sites into the city’s broader overnight shelter regulatory code.
February 2020: Council Retreat: Developed Approach for Housing Stability
Formulated a long-term community services framework to address homelessness, expanding municipal funding, and housing stability partnerships across Renton.
2020: Martin v. Boise Baseline - Shaped Renton’s Service-Led Approach
Operating under Ninth Circuit legal precedent, Renton complied with the requirement to offer shelter availability prior to clearing encampments on public property.
Funding for Services
Below is a breakdown of the annual budgets for housing and related services since 2020.
2026$7,537,644
2025$4,563,196
2024$4,664,924
2023$4,498,255
2022$5,806,634
2021$3,820,221
2020$3,015,051
Funding Details
Below is a detailed breakdown of annual funding allocations and the primary projects funded since 2020.
| Year | Funding Allocations | Primary Projects Funded |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $900,000 Willowcrest Housing Grant | Affordable housing |
| $500,000 Steele House Housing Grant | Affordable housing | |
| $200,000 FD CARES Contract | Community assistance program, education service | |
| $185,000 Project Be Free Contract | Provides domestic violence survivors with crisis response services | |
| $2,042,427 Health Commons Project Contract | Renton Student Health Hub | |
| $800,000 Stabilization Center Design & Planning | Behavioral health campus | |
| 2025 | $3,500,000 in HB 1590 sales tax revenue | Human Services Agency grants to 46 community programs |
| $1,820,000 in SKHHP Housing Capital Fund | Expanded social service provider contracts | |
| $812,000 Human Services Agency Funding | Food security, emergency shelter, behavioral healthcare and family stabilization | |
| $1,000,000 Commerce Connecting Housing to Infrastructure (CHIP) Funding |
| |
| 2024 | $1,800,000 in CARES Act grants | Expanded Human Services contracts |
| $1,500,000 in ARPA relief | Ongoing encampment cleanup operations | |
| $600,000 from city housing funds | Public space maintenance, city housing funds to deliver rental assistance, utility debt relief and emergency food programs | |
| 2023 | $731,000 in CDBG grants | Expanded Human Services contracts |
| $812,000 Human Services Agency Funding | Local service agencies, community partners, delivering critical crisis assistance, housing stability support and human services | |
| 2022 | CDBG grants | Ongoing human services operations |
| $100,000 grant to Homestead Community Land Trust | Willowcrest Townhomes Phase II affordable housing project | |
| 2021 | $1,000,000 from Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) | Phase II of Willowcrest Townhomes project |
| CDBG grants | Local nonprofits and facility improvements, long-term affordable housing infrastructure | |
| $34,000 member contribution to South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SKHHP) | Funding operations and administration | |
| 2020 | $419,000 in CDBG grants | Pandemic community support, emergency rental relief |
| $3,000,000–$3,500,000 in Public Safety 0.1% Sales Tax Increase | Food assistance programs, public safety, criminal justice services, victim services |
Partnerships
- Center of Hope (Established 2013)
Partnered with REACH (Renton Ecumenical Human Services) to establish a 24/7 emergency shelter for women, children, and families, providing continuous case management and wraparound services in City Hall's downtown campus.
- Renton Housing Authority (RHA)
Collaborates with the city to leverage HB 1590 sales tax revenues and state CHIP grants for long-term affordable developments, including Sunset Gardens, Willowcrest Phases I & II, and Steele House.
- PEER Kent
Integrates peer-led recovery, substance use support, and harm reduction navigation to connect unsheltered individuals directly with long-term behavioral health treatment.
- FD CARES
Deploys specialized fire and emergency services response teams to provide non-emergency medical intervention, mental health stabilization, and social service referrals.
- Communities in Schools
Partners with the city to deliver school-based interventions, case management, and basic needs support for vulnerable youth and families across the Renton School District.
- South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SKHHP)
Unites Renton with neighboring South King County cities to leverage joint funding through the pooled Housing Capital Fund, driving local affordable housing construction, policy alignment, and regional homelessness solutions.
- Neighborhood House
Partners with the City to deliver comprehensive family self-sufficiency programs, early childhood education, immigrant and refugee resettlement support, and community-based health navigation across South King County.
Page last updated: 12 Oct 2026, 05:12 PM